Memberxiexie : 70 or 80 degrees once the sun has set feels a lot different than during the day. I’d personally be fine with this and would probably even need a sweater if it was 70 at night…but I guess we all have our different comfort levels.
MemberSittingWaitingWishing : unless my math is wrong the idea is a 4:30 ceremony. 4:30-5 for the ceremony. 5-6 cocktail hour. 6 for the reception? That’s one hour, isn’t it?
Memberslomotion : I mean we could, but what fun is a wedding where pretty much everyone has to work the next day? I know my husband would find it hard to enjoy himself if he knew when everything was over he’d have to go right back to work. At least we’d get a week after the wedding to just hang out and enjoy being married even if we don’t go away. I mean I’m sure people do it all the time, but it just doesn’t seem…fun. And he’s being deployed a few weeks after we got married so we kinda need to do this sooner rather than later. Unfortunately with the military you need to prepare for the worst.,
Memberlindzrae : oh ok. I didn’t realize you weren’t including cocktail hour when you said reception
Memberlindzrae : Honestly, there is a lot of hysteria in this thread. I would probably take a step back before doing anything drastic like calling the whole thing off and going to the court house. I’m not a wedding expert but…I’ve been to a few backyard weddings or weddings on people’s private property with tents, and there was never a problem. People will check the weather forecast and dress accordingly. One was in June in Atlanta on an 80-degree day and it was perfect by nightfall. The other was in New England in August, as I mentioned, and it actually became chilly. People are literally freaking out about every detail of your wedding, from potential weather, to the fact that it’s at your parents’ property, to catering, to the 60 min gap between your ceremony and reception. I think there is a tendency on the bee to pile on when a thread gets off to a bad start, but in real life people tend to be more understanding about things.
Membertiffanybruiser : yeah I feel like it’s getting slightly off track. I just wanted suggestions on how to remedy the situation and I feel like I’ve had to justify my entire existence to strangers who feel like my honest answers aren’t good enough. Such is the internet!
Memberlindzrae : I do think the suggestion of moving things back – even if it’s just by one hour – would help if it turns out to be a scorcher that day. We had a 5:30pm ceremony for this very reason (outdoor ceremony in the south in May) and it ensured the sun wasn’t beating down on people during the brief ceremony. It was followed by cocktail hour and then the reception at 7pm. This was on a Sunday night too, and the majority of guests stayed til 11 when it ended!
Membertiffanybruiser : I definitely think moving it back would be an option. I know my parents would probably call it quits by 8, 9 at the latest and head on inside for bed. I’d hate to see them miss out, but what can I do!
Membermy husbands cousin had an outdoor wedding with tents in nh last july and it was sweaty and miserable 🙁
MemberI mean this in the kindest way: it seems like you do not want/have excuses to not take ANY of the suggestions given. Considering that, I don’t know why you’ve come here. I think moving the wedding later in the evening, getting fans big or small, or AC units, allowing people to take breaks indoors (I utterly don’t understand the insurance conundrum because we have large parties at home) are all great ideas. Perhaps you can do at least one of these things. If you really can’t do any at all, respectfully, I don’t understand why you have asked this question here. Anyway, hopefully everything works out and maybe that day will happen to be a perfect cool day. Wish you all the best.
Memberlindzrae : http://www.fabuloushomeideas.com/2013/06/21/how-to-make-your-own-diy-misting-system/
http://abc13.com/weather/diy-homemade-air-conditioner-for-around-$8/150681/
I’m sure these aren’t ideal! I love the heat, so this would not bother me one bit, but I think any older guests and such would certainly appreciate any variety of these! Don’t let all the negativity in!
Memberbluseye : I’m tired of repeating myself at this point. I’m open to moving the ceremony and reception to later.
To be fair, I asked what people’s experiences have been and what other people have done in these situations. I did get a fair amount of.. not that. Just because I’m not quoting and responding to every response doesn’t mean I’m dismissing it.
Membertiffanybruiser : she said 80 in the evening. Not at 430 when the ceremony is set for – prob closer to 95 + humidity.
MemberI wondered about the time gap too. What if you nixed the cocktail hour to help accommodate a later start time? A lot of times guests come hungry anyway. Are you doing a buffet or plated meal? I wouldn’t forego a wedding entirely at this point. Purchasing fans and stand alone a/c units would be much cheaper than hiring an outside company, and might be something you could manage. I’m from the South and have been to many weddings, funerals, and other events that required being outdoors for extended periods without a/c, and I can tell you it’s miserable. But you can do a few things to make things more comfortable. I understand being concerned about people leaving too late, but if you were to nix the cocktail hour and let the reception begin immediately after, that would help. Even if it’s hot, it really does help to not have the sun scorching down on you.
Memberlindzrae : Moving it is really best. Think about this: you have older people actually driving 2-3 hours to get there. (why these people arent’ getting a hotel is beyond me but you have stated they are driving back home). What kind of shape would these older folks be in after sitting in crazy heat for several hours? Certainly not in shape to drive 2 or 3 hours. It would see that they would be quite vulnerable to the hot weather.
Would your folks REALLY head to bed and miss your reception? I am not a farmer but I am a 4 time MOB who goes to work at 6:45 a.m. and I wouldn’t miss my kids reception because I had to go to bed. I’ll pop a Mt Dew or something for some extra caffeine the next day.
I really really really wish you well in your planning and I think moving your time is likely your best bet.
Also, as far as your future husband: this veteran thinks that week off and going away is incredibly important. Even if you were just to throw in the towel and go to the courthouse, make sure you guys go away prior to his deployment. Yeah, it’s nice when you can go away right after the wedding but even if you have to wait a bit it will be ok. Just make sure he has some time off prior to deployment.